“Death Omen” (), real name unknown, age twenty-four, height 185cm, weight 80kg. Wielder of the new martial art, Ripple Force (). Signature moves: Wave Fist () and Wave Kick (). Estimated strength level: Eleven Stars. Possesses the Sea Serpent Biomorphic Beast () in its Level Two Fusion state. Specialties include demolition and sniping…

Qin Fen stared at the string of data displayed on the computer screen, the gravity in his brow deepening as time ticked by. This man was skilled in both sniping and demolition? Truly bad news. No wonder he was sent here to disrupt the concert; his skillset was honed specifically for creating terror through destruction.

“The Reaper Squad ()?”

Qin Fen propped his chin in one hand, his eyes narrowed to slits as he scrutinized Death Omen’s file. This man commanded a special terror unit trained entirely by him, employing methods nearly identical to full-scale special forces training. He named this group the Reaper Squad.

Every time Death Omen engaged in terrorist activities, this mysterious Reaper Squad was certain to accompany him. The Federation had launched several encirclements against them, yet never managed to capture a single living member.

The members of this Reaper Squad, upon realizing there was no hope of survival, would immediately commit suicide, each carrying a Glorious Bomb () with devastating explosive power.

The Reaper Squad members averaged above Seven Stars in strength, each excelling in firearms, explosives, and possessing formidable real-combat individual capabilities. Each was equipped with a Biomorphic Beast () (a special, far inferior product compared to standard Biomorphic Beasts).

Qin Fen lightly tapped his temple. Death Omen alone was enough to cause a headache; saddled with an entire Reaper Squad made things truly difficult.

The Special Public Security Detachment? Qin Fen looked up at the twenty-two hotshot police officers surrounding him. If they had been given another year for more systematic training and a breakthrough in their star-level strength, they might stand a chance against the Reaper Squad. As it stood?

Qin Fen sighed. He had no choice but to rely on the Federation’s immense financial power to equip these men with cutting-edge technology, boosting their capabilities.

“Wu Hui. I’m writing a list.” Qin Fen’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “You need to get the Director’s signature immediately to requisition all this equipment. Also, we need to head over to the Armed Police Detachment shortly. This concert might prove to be quite troublesome.”

Taking the printout from the machine, Wu Hui’s eyes flew across the endless list in sheer astonishment. What was all this? Was such extravagance necessary?

“If the Director objects, just tell him one thing: I have received intelligence that the terrorists will deploy Death Omen this time. It shouldn't be hard for him to look up that name online. Also, instruct him not to spread this information.”

With Qin Fen’s arrangements complete, Wu Hui rushed out of the room. Lin Feng was already on the phone. Though military police cooperation was officially mandated, personal connections yielded far greater willingness to assist than official channels.

“What? Qin Fen wants these items? What does he think he’s doing? Planning to fight a war against the Federation?” Director Han Jing slammed his hand down on the equipment requisition form. “Forty Kinetic Gauntlets ()? Forty sets of Single-Soldier Combat Alloy Armor ()? He also needs forty sets of Elbow and Dual-Foot Kinetic Accelerators (、)? Forty X-Series High-Performance Thermal Lockers (X)? Forty Wrist Rotary Machine Guns ()? What does he think this place is? This is the Tianbei City Police Department, not a Special Forces unit!”

Wu Hui grimaced. It was no wonder the usually smiling Director Han Jing was letting out such strange cries. The Detachment Commander’s requisition list contained gear only special forces units typically possessed; even the city's Flying Tiger Squad only had twelve sets total.

“Our Detachment Commander said the terrorist coming this time is likely Death Omen. If you don’t know who Death Omen is, you can look him up online…”

“Death Omen?” Han Jing dropped his pretense of ignorance and immediately searched the name on his computer.

One minute later, Han Jing snatched up his phone and quickly punched in a few numbers. “Old Leader, this is Han Jing. Yes, yes. Qin Fen has been performing excellently here. I’m not calling to complain, but rather to borrow some equipment…”

“Thank you, Old Leader.” Han Jing hung up, quickly signing the paperwork. “You can collect the twelve existing sets of equipment now. I’ll notify you immediately once the rest arrives.”

Twelve sets of special operations gear soon appeared in Qin Fen’s office.

Lin Feng and the others curiously picked up the items one by one. This equipment was considered national treasure level back at the bureau; even these young hotshots had never used it before.

“Wow! This chest plate is really light!”

Wu Hui slipped on a piece protecting his abdomen and chest, twisting his body left and right in admiration. The matte black metal felt as light as a few slices of bread, and its apparent softness suggested that its defensive capabilities were hard to gauge.

Qin Fen picked up an empty bottle of ink, flicked his wrist, and flung it like a hidden weapon. A black streak shot out, impacting Wu Hui’s lower abdomen before he could react.

Smack…

The ink bottle instantly turned to dust. Wu Hui stood frozen. In the past, even if an ink bottle was shattered by his protective true energy (), the sheer force would have pushed him back two steps. But now, the bottle had struck the chest plate and seemed to swallow the entire impact; he barely felt any collision.

“That’s amazing?” Wu Hui tapped the chest plate, which moments before seemed soft, but now felt exceptionally rigid.

“It’s a special alloy. When it conforms to the body, it senses body heat and hardens,” Qin Fen explained calmly. “It can withstand a blow weighing 750 jin and possesses ballistic protection.”

The surrounding hotshot police officers nodded repeatedly. So that was it; this armor had such benefits. It made sense why the Flying Tiger members could move so swiftly while wearing them, facing stray bullets without fear during raids.

“This gun is also very interesting.”

Yu Xiao picked up two crescent-shaped objects resembling handcuffs. He merged them onto one wrist, finding that these items, five times larger than normal cuffs, in no way restricted his wrist rotation.

Qin Fen spoke as if explaining an entry from a super encyclopedia: “Its design is based on the M134 Minigun. Due to its miniaturized volume, its rate of fire is 2,800 to 3,200 rounds per minute. Used in conjunction with the Thermal Locker, its accuracy is exceptional, perfect for suppressive fire.”

Yu Xiao nodded repeatedly. This wrist-mounted micro-M133 was far more practical than its bulky counterpart.

Lin Feng donned the Kinetic Gauntlets. The five mechanical fingers, black and thick as radishes, conveyed an indescribable sense of power. He swung his arm, then placed his hand on the desk. “Detachment Commander, interested in an arm-wrestling match?”

“Kinetic Gauntlet Type I, outputting 1,500 to 2,300 jin of force,” Qin Fen chuckled. “Once you put these on, you have to be careful even scratching yourself. I heard from an instructor that one soldier wearing kinetic gauntlets had a mosquito land on his face. He instinctively swatted at it…”

The hotshots instantly turned pale green. Swatting a mosquito with gauntlets capable of delivering two thousand jin of force?

“Exactly!” Qin Fen shrugged, holding up his hands. “That man’s head turned into a crushed melon.”

“Kinetic Accelerators.” Qin Fen pursed his lips. “When activated, these can achieve a top speed of 230 kilometers per hour—great for urban pursuits.”

Yu Xiao slipped on a full set of gear, resembling a miniature powered suit. “Detachment Commander, are you seriously planning to fight a war against the Federation? Forty sets of this gear could give an entire battalion a run for their money in a direct confrontation!”

Qin Fen leaned back in his chair, sizing up Yu Xiao. “Better safe than sorry. Our opponent this time is likely a terrorist who has never failed. If he weren't so young, with only an Eleven-Star rating, his bounty might be much higher than five hundred thousand. Alright, let’s go visit the Armed Police Detachment now; I need to find the weapon I use there.”

“Commander, aren’t you using this gear?”

“I don’t need a gun.” Qin Fen walked toward the door. “One piece of equipment is enough—a sniper rig capable of easily taking down an Astonishing Giant Elephant ().”

Astonishing Giant Elephant? Yu Xiao rolled his eyes. That mutated creature was the size of three African elephants, and its hide was known as nature’s bulletproof vest. Ordinary bullets had no effect on it.

The twenty-two Maglev Cruisers left the police station. Director Han Jing repeatedly sighed while watching his computer screen: “This time really seems troublesome. Why did the Flying Heart Women’s Ensemble () have to hold their concert in Tianbei City? If anything happened to them, it would be a massive headache.”

For two consecutive days, the Tianbei City Police Department operated in a state of intense activity. The Armed Police had, according to the initial agreement, deployed fully armed forces to their designated locations.

Today was the day the Flying Heart Women’s Ensemble arrived in Tianbei City. According to the submitted schedule, the two young women needed to conduct a rehearsal first.

All other personnel had been cleared from the stadium. Armed police officers led genetically optimized police dogs, sweeping the venue continuously to ensure no explosives had been pre-planted.

Qin Fen carried a black leather briefcase and walked directly to Sniper Point Number Three, the optimal location. Though not as advantageous as Points One or Two, it provided excellent lines of sight to cover Sniper Point Number Two.

“You’re here?”

Yuwen Qian () today was a stunning beauty, clad in a qipao slit nearly three inches above her knee. Her waterfall-like long hair was coiled high with a long hairpin, further accentuating her refined features. Her gold-rimmed glasses did nothing to add elegance; instead, they lent her an air of danger and wildness, which, combined with her curvaceous figure, was impossible to ignore.

A beauty with a completely different look, yet the same person!

Qin Fen had to marvel. This Yuwen Qian was truly a thousand-faced enchantress; her disguise techniques had reached mastery.

Qin Fen glanced at the equipment in Yuwen Qian’s case, then casually tossed over his black leather briefcase.

“Oh?” Yuwen Qian looked at the contents of the opened case. “Good stuff! Why didn’t I ever think of this combination?”

“The sound is quieter than your gun, but the power is much greater. I prepared three sets,” Qin Fen nodded. “If you’re interested, the success rate will be higher with these.”

“Thanks.”

Yuwen Qian quickly assembled the anti-sniper gear. This time, the target was Death Omen. Rumor had it he had been targeted by Federal snipers no less than a hundred times yet remained active, clearly possessing superhuman agility. The better the weapon, the higher the success rate.

“But why three sets?” Yuwen Qian was slightly curious. Did this Qin Fen truly plan to use two sniper rigs simultaneously? That seemed terrifying.

“I’m waiting for someone else,” Qin Fen looked up at the sky. “She hasn’t called me, but I believe she will show up too. More than you, I trust her chances of success.”

“Oh?” Yuwen Qian’s curiosity immediately spiked. Who could possibly command such confidence from a master sniper like Qin Fen?

“She should come back, right?”

“She should come back!”

Qin Fen muttered the question to himself, then smiled wryly. Lin Ling (), a woman with almost no discernible emotion, seemed to require no locking onto targets when taking a shot. She would be the perfect fit for dealing with Death Omen.

“They’re here!”

Yu Xiao let out an excited shout from the stadium floor. A long line of personnel entered the tunnel in an orderly fashion. Leading the group was the manager of the Flying Heart Women’s Ensemble, the woman whose aura rivaled that of a phoenix, fiercely barring anyone from approaching the idols.

A pair of twins, wearing cute bear hats, were completely covered up, only their pure beauty showing beneath the puffs of warm air they exhaled.

The manager at the front held her chin high with arrogance, waving her wrist a few times. The staff following immediately dispersed to their duties, setting up the stage with a swiftness comparable to well-trained soldiers.

Yu Xiao and the others shrugged dismissively at the manager’s bearing, returning to inspect the stadium perimeter.

Qin Fen was the host for this mission; the members of the Special Public Security Detachment certainly didn't want any incident to mar this concert.

A ringing phone interrupted Qin Fen’s observation, halting his plan to meet the Flying Heart members downstairs.

“Hello?”

“Qin Fen, this is Caesar. They won’t let me into the stadium; come out and meet me.”

“Oh.” Qin Fen smiled. Caesar had arrived quickly. As an Emperor, he usually took everything calmly, but that past defeat must have spurred him on; he arrived even faster than Lin Liqiang and the others.

Stepping outside the stadium, Qin Fen paused, momentarily stunned by the figures at the entrance.

Lin Liqiang, grinning widely, was draped over Xue Tian (), who still smelled faintly of gunpowder, the two chatting intimately. They were practically dragging the silent Inzaghi () along, insisting he join their discussion, completely ignoring whether the silent handsome man was interested in joining the conversation about the beautiful women.

Xing Wuyi () maintained his usual stoicism, though the smell of smoke hadn't quite washed off his face. After not seeing him for days, the intellectual fox’s scholarly air was now mixed with a harder, iron-blooded edge—like a treasured blade still sheathed, his rate of strength improvement was astonishing.

Kaitian Brooks () leaned against Yang Lie the Dragon King (), his wide-brimmed hat covering his face, still seemingly asleep as always.

Hateful, vicious eyes came from Moradek (), who held a red spear.

Caesar smiled, his emperor’s bearing undiminished from before; indeed, he seemed refined, his strength having ascended another level.

Solomon () remained quiet, as usual, standing some distance from Inzaghi. Their shared silence gave them the air of brothers.

Du Peng () was noticeably leaner than before, appearing much harder. From his appearance alone, one could tell how brutally he had trained.

Lacking Du Zhanpeng’s () transcendent natural talent, he relied only on relentless practice! His defeat in the Rookie Tournament had deeply motivated Du Peng, making him the most driven trainee in his special forces unit, according to frequent rumors in the military.

If Du Zhanpeng were here this time, perhaps…

I cannot tarnish my elder brother’s name! Du Peng silently admonished himself countless times, each warning transforming into driving power, making him the training phenomenon of his unit.

Chen Feiyu () nodded gently beside him. This man, possessing only half the meridians of an ordinary person but rare Solar Bronze Bones (), was progressing rapidly in strength, aided by the finest internal arts and elixirs.

Lin Ling! Qin Fen spotted the usually cold and expressionless Lin Ling in the crowd!

This strange beauty now wore a perfectly beautiful smile—but it lacked any genuine emotion, which surprised Qin Fen somewhat, yet also touched him.

At least Lin Ling’s expression today was an attempt to convey to him that she wanted to smile. It was just that she still didn't know how to smile.

Powerful! Qin Fen could clearly sense that these friends and rivals, unseen for days, were significantly stronger than they were during the Rookie Tournament.

What incredible power could this assembly of young elites unleash when gathered together? Qin Fen smiled, spreading his arms wide, and strode toward them.

These people were rivals in the Rookie Tournament, and while they remained opponents, they were also friends now.

Friends! Some people live together for five or even eight years and are merely classmates. Others become friends after spending only a short time together.

The first bear hug came from the usually inarticulate Inzaghi, who instantly escaped the clutches of the two companions suffering from an excess of testosterone, settling quietly beside Solomon.

“Old Qin~ Missed you like crazy~~” Lin Liqiang whispered into Qin Fen’s ear. “Don’t forget the cop! Bro’s butt blossomed for you, you know!”

After a round of bear hugs, Qin Fen looked at Lin Ling, about to extend his hand for a shake, when Lin Ling stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Her perfect face rested against Qin Fen’s chest. Listening to his heartbeat, she slightly closed her eyes, sunlight illuminating her face with a sacred glow.

“Is this what comfort feels like?”

Lin Ling rested against Qin Fen’s chest for a few seconds, softly asking the question in a tone she rarely used.

“Beauty, beauty,” Xue Tian called softly. “I hug better than Old Qin; it would feel even more comfortable.”

Qin Fen shrugged. “You’ve arrived at the perfect time. I have a bunch of special forces suits left over. One for each of you. Help me handle the security detail too; this terrorist group has some reputation.”

Looking at this band of comrades who had rushed to his aid, the slight unease in Qin Fen’s heart completely vanished. These were the elite among the elite!